How much does happiness pay? Salaries of 10 Dream Jobs revealed by Indeed

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Indeed

Swapping the daily grind for job joy can pay surprisingly well according to job site Indeed

Six dream jobs pay more than the national average salary

Sommeliers can toast £43k a year, while marine biologists can splash out with £36k

It’s a thought that crosses many a commuter’s mind on a grey Monday morning: what if I ditched the daily grind for a dream job? While the reality of paying rent and feeding a family leads most of us to dismiss such idle musings as a pipedream, a lucky few do find jobs which combine a steady income with the chance to do something they adore.

Such roles – which combine rewarding work with a good work/life balance – do exist but are hard to come by. New research by the world’s biggest job site Indeed has identified 10 such roles, six of which pay more than the average UK salary of £28,000.

Table: 10 jobs that let you live your passion (and what they pay)

Rank

Job

Average salary

1

Sommelier

£42,689

2

Brand ambassador

£37,381

3

Marine biologist

£35,848

4

Brewmaster

£30,713

5

Personal trainer

£28,630

6

Game tester

£28,509

7

Personal shopper

£22,491

8

Cake decorator

£19,407

9

Dog walker

£16,845

10

Ski instructor

£15,798

The best paid role on the list is a natural choice for someone with a taste for the finer things in life. Sommeliers are responsible for tasting wines and pairing them with dishes served in high-end restaurants. For anyone with a passion for wine, it’s a vintage – and well-paid – option with an average salary of £42,689.

For pure escapism value, the prospect of going to work from the beach, in a swimming costume, is hard to beat. But for all the images it conjures of playing water polo with dolphins, marine biologist is a scientific career that can require years of training and an array of academic degrees. Travelling to some of the world’s most exotic ecosystems, the average salary of a marine biologist comes in at £35,848.

Meanwhile the second best paying role would fit any fashionista like a Louboutin. Brand ambassadors are paid to embody a brand by modelling clothes or accessories, attending events and posting pictures on social media. The average salary for living like a celeb is an impressive £37,381 per year.

Bill Richards, UK Managing Director at Indeed, commented: “Jobs that make us happy tend to be those that give us a sense of purpose and fit who we are. Employees who are engaged at work and passionate about their careers are more productive, more innovative and inspire those around them to do their best.

“The jobs on our list are popular hobbies and passions turned into careers. Finding the harmony between the demands of a role and the responsibilities of daily life is hard, but it becomes easier when we do what we love for a living.

“Loving what we do helps us thrive as an individual and achieve great things as a professional. A true dream job is one that gives high levels of both happiness and satisfaction – and which consequently won't even feel like a job at all!”